Roadrunner RV Park

Located in Oklahoma City, the Roadrunner RV Park has been in operation since 1987, with the current family owning the property since 1990.. Within the park, which is made up of 13 acres of land, is 132 RV sites, a main office, and a grass area for pets, specifically dogs. Along with the check-in office, the main office contains a community room, a laundry facility, a full kitchen, and a banquet room. A small market is also located within the boundaries of the park, and it sells things like bottled water, chips, and other simple food items. Around the RV Park is Oklahoma City, which contains various attractions and activities that guests can enjoy. Ray Doonkeen, one of the owners of the facility, wants his guests to feel comfortable and relaxed, and he wants them to take pride in where they are staying.

About

Within the boundaries of the Roadrunner RV Park is a main office, along with 132 units for RVs. Each site is equipped with water, sewage, electricity, and either 30 or 50-amp services. Also included at each site is a concrete pad and asphalt street. The main office is a 6,000-square-foot building that contains the office, a community room, a full kitchen, and a laundry facility. Additionally, the recreation room, also referred to as the banquet room, is open to events such as family reunions, business meetings, or 100-person dinners. Also available are catered meals for these groups, though the banquet room has a limited capacity. A market, located within the 13 acres of the property, sells simple food items like chips, candy, bottled water, and more.

Outside of the RV sites and buildings, there is a grass area where pets can relieve themselves. The grass area is maintained and can be a good place for guests to walk their dogs. Ray DoonKeen, one of the owners of the property, explains that they try to remove pointy plants in the grass area that could potentially hurt the dog or their owner.

The Roadrunner RV Park, which is close to downtown, home districts, and commercial retail buildings, is located in Oklahoma City. Because of the location of the park, there are multiple restaurants and activities that are available to the guests staying on the property. Three restaurants that the owners of the establishment have suggested their guests to eat at are Oliveto's, an Italian bistro, Cocina de Mino, a restaurant based around Mexican food, and McClintock's Saloon, which is known for its steak. Ray Doonkeen and Yvonne Gonzales, who manage the property, suggest that guests visit the many museums in the area, along with a new Catholic shrine that is being built. One of the more popular museums, according to Ray, is a museum where a bombing took place. The bombing killed multiple people, and some of them were children who were attending kindergarten. Because of this event, the museum was built with the purpose of allowing people to view the history.

Culture

At the Roadrunner RV Park, Ray Doonkeen and Ybonne Gonzales, the owners of the property, want their guests to feel comfortable and relaxed. To help their visitors feel this, they say the workers at the property try to "take ownership", meaning that they work to keep the establishment clean. They also expect the guests to do the same. Ray Doonkeen explains that he views the people staying at the park to be "a little community." He enjoys talking with the guests when he is given the opportunity, and he also appreciates having guests from various places. Another hope that Ray Doonkeen and Ybonne Gonzales have is that the guests will take pride in where they are staying. 

Various events are held at the Roadrunner RV Park, and another common thing is for the guests to the property to be in town for a specific activity. Some of these activities include reunions, weddings, graduation, and receptions. Some of the people who stay at the RV Park are attending a training in an air school, while others are traveling nurses. Events that are held within the park are often smaller, seeing as the places where events can be held have a limited capacity that is lower than other buildings in the area. Despite the fact that these activities are not held often, people have expressed that they enjoyed the area. Those who are hosting events are usually expected to provide their own food, though catering is an option.

Strategies that the owners use to populate the property include attending to cleanliness and customer service. Ray Doonkeen, one of the owners, explains that he and the other workers try to greet their guests with a smile, and they strive to have things ready for them. Visitors to the property often come as a result of word of mouth, meaning that previous guests to the park will suggest it to others. Because of it's location in Oklahoma City, a lot of people compliment how close the establishment is to activities, restaurants, and shops. One guest in particular said that, "This park is conveniently located close to everything in Oklahoma City being right off I-35." Other compliments have been received, specifically about the cleanliness of the park and the friendly owners. "The place is very clean, all concrete pads, plenty of space for our motorhome (and room to pull our car behind it). The staff were very welcoming," remarked another guest. Other comments have been made by various guests to the property, and Ray Doonkeen is pleased with some of them.

History

The Roadrunner RV Park has been in business for 32 years. Though the property has always been an RV park, it hasn't always been the same size. When the park was first built, only 80 sites had been established. Since then, Ray Doonkeen and Ybonne Gonzales, the two siblings that run the property, have expanded and added an additional 52 sites. Another major change that they made was upgrading the original park, specifically the electrical system. 

When Ray Doonkeen was younger, he and his family did a lot of camping around the United States. Because of their experience with camping, they decided that owning and operating an RV park could be a good experience for the family. Previous to purchasing the property, the family owned a restaurant. Ray explains that, while they were functioning the restaurant, they were able to watch people build an RV park. After a few years, Ray and his family decided to purchase the establishment.

Since the Roadrunner RV Park was bought by Ray Doonkeen, it has been run as a family business. Ray and his sister Ybonne are in charge of the property. Ray has explained that the name of their park isn't a rare one. In fact, he knows of a few different RV parks around the states that go by the same name. Ray tries to emphasize that their park is not affiliated with any other parks, and is instead its own thing. The symbol of the Roadrunner RV Park is a roadrunner bird. Since the beginning, the park has been called by its name, and it has always had the same symbol. Ray and Ybonne have operated the park for quite some time, and have tried to preserve the park's name and nature.